Studies of a red tattoo. Appearances in electron microscope, and analysis by chemical means, laser microprobe and selected-area diffraction of tattooed material

Abstract

In the electron microscope, mercuric sulfide (cinnabar), long implanted in skin as a tattoo, and mercuric sulfide, freshly embedded in agar, were found to have similar appearances. Qualitative chemical analysis for mercury in tissue from the tattoo indicated it was present. Laser-microprobe analysis showed that material in the tattoo was identical to cinnabar embedded in agar. Selected-area diffraction studies revealed that the material in the tattoo was crystalline, and had interplanar spacings corresponding closely to those of mercuric sulfide.